Display stand for furniture casters, slides, or the like



Sept. 5, 1939. I R. D. MOUNT 2,172,172-

DISPLAY STAND FOR FURNITURE QASTEBS, SDIDES, OR THE LIKE Filed NOV. 19, 1936 INVENTOR Hg LF'l-ln- MuuN-r. ad/#0..

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES DISPLAY STANDFOR FURNITURE CASTERS,

SLIDES, OR THE LIKE Ralph D. Mount, Fairfield C onnl, assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application'November 19, 1936, Serial No. 111,684

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a display stand for furniture casters,slides or the like, and has for an object to provide a permanent display fixture which may be placed upon a store counter, and in which samples of'casters, slides or the: likc,of various sizes, finishes, etc., may be displayed in such manner that the prospective customer may compare the various samples with each other, handle them, and try out the swivelling and rolling action, to thus determine from the samples which caster will best suit his needs. The particular caster selected will then be sold to him from stock carried upon the shelves or elsewhere of the store.

It is particularly proposed to provide mount ing means for the sample casters consisting of plugs, of wood or the like, in which the caster is mounted in a. similar manner to the mounting of a caster in a furniture leg, these plugs adapted to position the sample upon the display stand, and also, when removed from the display stand,

to provide a handle by means of which the customer may try out the action of the caster or slide.

Another object is to provide a display stand having gauge means incorporated therein for the purpose of determining the size of caster socket desired by the customer. Ordinarily when a customer wishes to replace an old caster socket he will bring in one of the old sockets for the purpose of matching the new ones in size, and as such sockets are usually formed of spring metal and engage the leg in compressed relation the practice heretofore employed of visually comparing the old socket with the new ones was 'uncertain and unreliable. According to the present invention the old socket may be fitted into the proper opening of the gauge, the gauge open ings of which correspond to standard size furniture legs, and thereby accurately determine the correct size desired. 7

A further object is to provide a display stand which will be of hollow construction and in which catalogues and literature relating tothe product may be stored so that the same will be protected from dust and dirt and will at the same time be readily available.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the display stand,

according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, the sample casters'being removed and one of them being shown atthe side of the stand.

Fig. 2 is a vertical; longitudinal sectional View, showing a-sample slide mountedin the stand.

3 is' a side elevation of a sample caster.

Fig. l is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stand from the front, showing sample casters and slides in place, and showing the manner in which the salesman and customer may handle the sample casters.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the stand from the rear and showing a castersocket about to be. fitted in the socket gauge.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the display stand, according to my invention, is preferably formed of wood and is of hollow construction, consisting of a base ID, a front wall II, a rear wall l2, end walls I3-l3, and a top wall Hi, the latter being inclined downwardly toward the front. The top wall I 4 is provided with a plurality of circular holes l5 preferably arranged in rows and spaced sufiiciently apart to display properly the individual casters, slides, or the like, mounted in the respective holes. It will be understood that in each of the holes there will be a separate style of caster, slide, or the like, which may be individually removed.

The sample caster, slide, or the like 16, as shown in Fig. 3, is engaged in a socket 11 similar to the type of socket that will be sold to the customer with the caster, and which socket is permanently inserted in the hole I8 provided in the plug member I9, this plug member being of wood or other suitable material, and provided at its lower end, as seen in Fig. 3, with a flange 20 which when the plug is engaged in the hole 15 engages the top surface of the display stand to limit the insertion of the plug in the hole.

As seen in Fig. 5 the caster sockets, or the like, may be closely compared with each other, and readily removed by the salesman or customer, so that they may be carefully examined and tried out. The customer having made his selection the salesman will supply him with the casters or slides from the regular stock carried on the shelves or elsewhere in the store. The advantage of this over the previous method of showing the customer sample casters attached to boxes provided upon the shelves of the store, or of opening boxes of casters to show the customer the various types, is readily apparent.

Upon the rear wall l2 of the stand there is provided a metal gauge plate 2| secured to the outer surface by screws 22 and provided with a series of gauge openings 23 of various sizes corresponding to standard shapes and diameters of leg openings. The back I3 is provided with openings Z' l registering with the openings of the gauge. Thus, while a relatively thin metal gauge may be employed, the thickness of the back wall 12 will provide a suitable length of surface for proper fitting of the socket, it being understood that the spring sides of the usual socket contacts the interior of the leg at'an appreciable distance above the lower surface of the leg. The increased thickness to the gauge provided by the back wall l2 provides a sufficiently deep surface for proper contact of the spring sides of the socket. Fig. 6 shows a spring caster socket 25 in position to check its size with one of the gauge openings 23.

The rear wall I2 is provided at its lower end below the gauge plate 2| with a slot opening 26 through which catalogues, descriptive literature, or the like, may be inserted into the interior of the stand and readily removed when desired.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention; but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a counter display for samples of casters, slides or the like, a support including the top portion having a plurality of openings therein, plug members having a cross sectional shape corresponding to the shape of said openings and adapted to be removably engaged in said openings, said plug members having means in their outer ends adapted to receive and secure sample casters, slides or the like, and said plug members having a flange at their outer ends adapted to engage the surface of said support about. 

